16 Celebrities Using Their Spotlight to Raise Awareness

This weekend Carnie Wilson of Wilson Phillips, Celebrity Fit Club, and Celebrity Wife Swap fame announced on Twitter that she is battling Bell’s palsy. With that one tweet she not only let the world in on her personal challenge but she also helped raise awareness for a condition that not many of her followers (myself included) had ever heard of. According to Web MD, Bell’s palsy is a type of paralysis (or weakness) of the muscles in the face thought to be due to inflammation of the seventh cranial nerve also known as the facial nerve.

When a public figure opens up about private health issues they do an incredible service of raising awareness. Many celebrities reveal intimate health battles to let their fans know that their appearance may alter or that they may be taking a break from work. Some step into the spotlight for the simple altruistic reason of helping others.

Once upon a time it was considered taboo for stars to talk about their personal lives, much less their personal health. Celebrities were incredibly tight lipped and private about what ailed them for fear of being blacklisted for work. The AARP credits John Wayne with being the trailblazer in Hollywood public relations for going public with his battle with lung cancer in 1964.

Since then stars and celebrities have used their spotlight to raise awareness for health problems. By doing so they have saved countless lives in numerous ways by encouraging early testing to rallying for donations for cutting edge research.

Have you been inspired to action by a celebrity’s health battle?

Carnie Wilson is sharing news and updates on her condition on Twitter and raising awareness.

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Christina Applegate 3 of 17

Christina Applegate created the Right Action for Women Foundation to provide aid to individuals who are at increased risk for breast cancer and do not have insurance or the financial flexibility to cover the high costs associated with breast screenings.

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Elisabeth Hasselbeck 4 of 17

Elisabeth Hasselbeck wrote The G-Free Diet: A Gluten Survival Guide after going public with her Celiac disease.

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Giuliana Rancic 5 of 17

Giuliana Rancic is serious about breast cancer awareness saying, "if my story can inspire them to go get checked and to take breast cancer seriously and to know it can happen to a young girl without a family history—if it can happen to me, it can happen to you—then that's my responsibility, I have to do it."

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Halle Berry 6 of 17

In addition to being a volunteer for the Juvenile Diabetes AssociationHalle Berry often attends events to raise funds for diabetes research.

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Howie Mandel 7 of 17

Howie Mandel is a a big proponent of mental health awareness. He says he doesn't think there's anyone alive who doesn't have issues.

In an episode of Keeping Up With the KardashiansKhloe Kardashian raises awareness for women dealing with infertility by visiting a fertility clinic.

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Michael Douglas 10 of 17

Michael Douglasstarred in a PSA urging Americans to undergo screenings for oral cancer.

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Michael J Fox 11 of 17

Michael J FoxFoundation is dedicated to finding a cure for Parkinson's disease through an aggressively funded research agenda and to ensuring the development of improved therapies for those living with Parkinson's today

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Michael Jordan 12 of 17

The Magic Johnson Foundation focuses on HIV/AIDS education, testing and awareness, minority college access and digital literacy through our Community Empowerment Centers.

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Montel Williams 13 of 17

Montel WilliamsMS Foundation is dedicated to furthering the scientific study of multiple sclerosis.

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